Gaming in the Library
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Sunday, November 16, 2014
ECPL Library Grant #2
Etowah Carnegie
Public Library Grant
Laura A. Murray
University of
Tennessee Knoxville
School of Information
Sciences
Etowah Carnegie Public
Library Grant
The Etowah Carnegie Public library in East Tennessee
serves a rural population of 3,490 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). With a small annual
budget of only $76,000, Etowah Carnegie Public Library is able to serve its
patrons with books, ebooks, summer reading programs, 11 computers, wireless
internet, and many others (ECPL, 2014). The
nearest library in Athens, Tennessee is twenty minutes away with no public
transportation between the two towns. The city of Etowah is comprised of 60%
families and a significant population over 65 years of age (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010,
para 5).
Problem
[Why does their condition give rise to the need?]
The Etowah Carnegie Public Library (ECPL) is the hub of
activity for Etowah citizens who are unable to afford internet or computer
access. According to library director Lorie Waters, many patrons use the
computers to search and apply for jobs, explore healthcare options, file their
taxes, and apply for services (L. Waters, personal communication, August 23,
2014). However, the library has a
serious problem with access. There are
twenty-two treacherous steps to the only entrance into the library (ECPL,
2014). There is no handicapped access and no easily traversed access. The
twenty-two steps are steep with only minimal handrails. Anyone in a wheelchair,
on crutches, using a walker or any ambulation problems is unable to enter the
library.
Solution
This grant will provide the ECPL with the funding it
needs to build an addition: an exterior deck with a handicap ramp and safer
steps and outdoor reading area. Etowah Carnegie Public Library is in a lovely,
but historic building that was added to the National Register of Historic
Places in 2003 (ECPL, 2014). Because of
this, the façade of the building cannot be altered (Grimmer & Weeks, 2014).
The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation states that “a
property shall be used for its historic purpose or be placed in a new use that
requires minimal change to the defining characteristics of the building and its
site and environment,” in order to determine whether a historic building can
accommodate this change (Grimmer & Weeks, 2014, para. 15). Statute (9) states that
New additions,
exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic
materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated
from the old and shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and
architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and
its environment. (para. 17)
Evidence of Need
[How can the library or information-related
setting help? Why is the library or information-related setting well suited to
serve this group and its specific need?]
There are four specific target groups this change will
affect: Veterans, the disabled, the over
65 population and families with children under 6. Each of these groups would
benefit significantly with better access. Veterans, the disabled and the elderly
may have difficulty will ambulation. Families with small children either carry
a car seat, stroller, or precariously carry children up the steps. Many of the
patrons in these groups cannot enter the building.
Etowah
has 315 veterans, 47 of which are disabled (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). According to the National Defense
Research Institutes Recent Trends in Veteran Unemployment (2007), disabled
veterans are much less likely to find work. By using the library computers and
internet these veterans can utilize the Disability Transition Assistance and
receive assistance going back to working in the world after returning from
deployment (Savych, Klerman, & Loughran, 2007). Even able-bodied veterans
returning to work have a high rate of unemployment (Savych et al., 2007). These
services are vital, especially since most of the Tennessee State Career Centers
across the state have been closed in the last few years (Several TN Career Centers to Close, 2013). Our veterans also need access to accurate
information about health care. The
Veterans Administration, Social Security, and Healthcare.gov are all websites
these patrons should have regular access to. The library may be the only place
they can go.
[What is the general nature of the benefit the target group, and as a
result the community, will receive? What are the outcomes? In other words,
justify the service to be provided and the library or information-related
setting’s role in providing it.]
Altogether Etowah has 516 residents who are considered
disabled, and 30% the families in Etowah make less than $25,000 per year (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010,
para. 13). This significant unemployment rate especially
effects single mothers with young children (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The library is vital to these
citizens. They need access to the library and their career services, early
reading programs, access to online tax forms and state and federal websites. If they cannot get into the building, they
cannot get to the services.
Obstacles
[What obstacles (social, cultural, and
institutional) stand in the way of their satisfying that need?]
At
this time, ECPL does not have the funding it requires to build this
addition. This grant application is the
impetus and inspiration for creating a plan. The building is an historical building
and has specific limitations in what can be altered on the façade. A 5-year
plan is still in development. This plan
includes how and when to obtain permits; project management; architectural
plans; a list of potential contractors; and potential community business donors
for building materials. Because this plan is still in development, the ECPL
will be required to more clearly outline exactly how the grant money will be
spent. Also, the ECPL will need to create
a plan to demonstrate the accomplishments that result from the utilization of
this grant.
Community Support
The ECPL has many supporters in the community. The Friends of the Library has started
fundraising for the front access build and has agreed to help match funding
with any grants applied for (Friends of the Library, 2014). Walden Blair and
Associates, PLLC has offered also to match funding (R. Blair, personal
communication, August 2, 2014). The Etowah
Amvets Post (2014) has pledged to raise $5,000 over the next two years. The Etowah Arts Commission and the Parks and
Recreation Department have agreed to help support with marketing (L. Waters,
personal communication, August 23, 2014). These community organizations will
serve as allies to the ECPL to help get the front porch built and engender
community support across the board.
Conclusion
The Etowah Carnegie
Public Library is a supportive entity in Etowah and residents rely heavily on
the services it provides. The ECPL can
show ample need for this grant funding. The ECPL has garnered lots of community
support. However, their plans are not quite yet ready. The library staff and
director are dedicated to this endeavor and have carved out time alongside the
Friends of the Library and other community supporters. If the ECPL expects to
be successful in receiving this grant, their plans will need to be clearly
drawn out and share the breakdown of how the funding will be used as well as a
plan to assess the impact in the long run.
References
Amvets.
(2014). Amvets: About us. Retrieved
from www.amvets.org/about
Etowah
Carnegie Library. (2014). About us.
Retrieved from http://www.etowahlibrary.com/about-us
Friends
of the Library. (2014). Friends of Etowah
Carnegie Library: happenings past current and future. Retrieved from http://www.etowahlibrary.com/friends-of-the-library/newsletter
Grimmer,
A. E. & Weeks, K. D. (2014). Preservation
brief 14: New exterior additions to historic buildings: Preservation concerns.
[National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior]. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/tps/how-to-preserve/briefs/14-exterior-additions.htm#incompatible
Savych,
B., Klerman, J. A., Loughran, D.S. (2007). Recent
trends in veteran unemployment as measured in the current population survey and
the American Community Survey. [Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of
Defense] Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/technical_reports/2008/RAND_TR485.pdf
Several
TN Career Centers to Close. (2013, April 9). Several TN Career Centers to Close. Retrieved from http://www.wbbjtv.com/news/local/Several-TN-Career-Centers-to-Close-203820451.html
U.S. Census Bureau. (2010). 2010 Census interactive population search:
Etowah city, TN. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/2010census/popmap/ipmtext.php?fl=47:4724480
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Creating a Screencast
University of
Tennessee Knoxville
School of Information
Science
Laura Angilee Murray,
MBA, BFA
Link to PureChat PodCast:
Link to Ten Minute Website Screencast:
Implementation
Plan: Creating a Screencast
Teaching individuals is a rewarding part of being a
librarian. But, we cannot be everywhere
at once and sometimes will need to rely on tutorials for our patrons who need
to learn how to do something when we are unable to be there. Today, many patrons are accustomed to
learning from a video or screencast. In
order to accommodate your patron’s time and preference for learning, you can create
a screencast. This paper will outline
the implementation plan for creating a screencast for someone who has never
made one before.
Screencast Subject
First, you need to decide what your screencast will help
with. Your topic should take into consideration
what your patrons needs are, or what they may need or want to know. For
example, if your catalog is complex, a screencast tutorial could make doing an
advanced search much easier. (Incidentally, if your catalog is complex, you
need a better one.) If you notice your patrons are curious about creating
something or using technical tools that are now readily available. The screencast
in this implementation plan shows someone how to create a website in just a few
minutes. This subject was chosen based on a list of frequently asked questions
collected about things patrons would like to learn.
Screencast Tools
Once you have determined the subject you wish to cover,
you need to consider what type of tool you will be using. The tool chosen
should be something relatively easy to use, but also affordable, and one that will
allow you to edit the audio and video enabling you to create a compelling
tutorial. There are many options for creating a screencast out there including
paid tools like Camtasia or Adobe Captivate.
Adobe Captivate costs about $299 per license for educators (Adobe, 2014)
and Camtasia is $179 for educators (Techsmith, 2014). Both of these programs
are complex and unless you are a professional screencast creator, and will be
creating screencasts regularly, you may not need this much screencast power, at
least initially. As a new creator, my
recommendation is to choose something relatively simple and free. There are many free choices, but two that
stand out are Jing and Screencast-O-Matic.
Jing offers only 5 minutes of screen time at one time, and thus limits
your tutorials to a fixed time. While short tutorials are popular they also
require more skill to write a succinct script and cover enough information to
address the needs and skill levels of your patrons. Because practice is the
best way to learn to use tech tools, I recommend using Screencast-O-Matic. Screencast-O-Matic is free, simple, and allows
for 15 minutes of time to record. Plus,
if you decide to upgrade, the pro version is only $15 per year (Screencast-O-Matic,
2014).
Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic offers many features that make
screencasts extremely useful. Screencast-O-Matic records both the webcam and
screen at the same time, allowing multiple options for display. Screencast-O-Matic
shows mouse movements by showing a circle around the mouse that flickers when
you click on an area or option. Screencast-O-Matic is an online tool, meaning you
do not have to download anything; rather you can just work from a Java applet. Screencast-O-Matic saves videos in mp4
format, which can be easily uploaded to YouTube or you can use the Screencast-O-Matic
server to share your videos (Screencast-O-Matic, 2014). The free version of
Screen-O-Matic offers a maximum recording time of 15 minutes, free hosting, record
screen and webcam, publish to YouTube HD, and publish to MP4, AVI, FLV movie
(Screencast-O-Matic, 2014). The paid
version includes unlimited recording time; free hosting (up to 15 minutes) in
HD; recording screen and webcam or webcam only without a watermark; publish to such
places as Google Drive, Vimeo, and YouTube HD, using MP4, AVI, FLV movie
formats; publish screen shot; password protected uploads; editing, scripts, and
screen shot tools; record system audio (Win Vista/7/8); and draw & zoom
while recording (Screencast-O-Matic, 2014).
Design and Recording
Before you actually start recording, it is a good idea
to create a script of what you will be recording. Using a word program or Google Drive, write
out what you will be teaching. This will
help keep you on task and decrease the amount of editing you will need to do on
the finishing end. If you are a very visual person, you may want to create a PowerPoint
presentation with screen shots to use for a storyboard and print it out to use
while recording.
Once you have your script and a good idea of what you
will be recording, visit Screencast-O-Matic.com (Figure 1) and click on Start
Recording. If you are working on a Mac
or Windows computer, you can begin recording immediately.
Figure 1. Screen-O-Matic
homepage.
Once you click on Start Recording, you will see a dotted
line, boxed in area (Figure 2). You will
also see a camera image of yourself (I have edited myself out of this view). You
can include your own image and record yourself as you talk or you can squeeze
to resize or drag the dotted area around only the area you wish to work on. This flexibility allows for you to record
only in one window or in multiple windows at once. Everything inside the dotted frame will be recorded. You can pause your recording by clicking the
red record button near the bottom left. Once
you are finished recording, your work will automatically be saved as an mp4 to
your computer.
Figure 2. Screen-O-Matic recording area.
There are a few things to keep in mind while you are
recording. Using a great mic in a quiet
room helps immensely to create a professional sounding recording. Speak slowly
and clearly. Practice what you will say several times before you record so that
you will be very familiar with your material and you will be able to speak
naturally. Also make sure that your computer screen area is not cluttered. Do you have lots of tabs open? That may distract your viewers, so have open
only what you will need.
Finishing and Editing
Once you have recorded your video, you may need to edit
it. Because Screencast-O-Matic costs so
little you may want to go ahead and pay for the Pro version so that you can
edit using this tool. But, if like me, you do not even have that amount of
money to pay for the Pro version, you can upload your video to YouTube (Figure
3).
Figure 3. YouTube upload
screen.
Use the editing tools such as enhancements, audio,
annotations, and subtitles (Figure 4). At this point, it is a good idea to
create your closed captioning content.
If you followed the script you made earlier, this part will be easy.
Figure 4. YouTube
editing tools.
On the right side
of the video in YouTube, you will see an option to upload closed
captioning. You can type it in one line
at a time, drop it in all at once, or type it as the recording is playing.
Closed captioning also shows the timeline of recording, allowing you to match
the captions with the timing of the spoken words and screenshot.
You can also add in background
music, photographs and text inside the video editing tool in YouTube (Figure 5).
Figure 5. Screenshot
of music files in YouTube.
Some video editors include a transitions editor. These help create smooth transitions between
takes, and editing between parts of the video.
YouTube has this tool and you will only need to click on a transition
and drag it onto your timeline.
Figure 6. Transition
tools.
Summary
Creating a screencast
does not have to be a daunting and overwhelming task. The best videos will be entertaining, interesting
to look at, and important to your users.
They will also be the videos that are created by taking the time to
create a plan to make them. By using an
outline, a script, a great microphone and good tools, you can create a video
that your patrons will love to use.
References
Adobe.
(2014). Buying guide: Education discount.
Retrieved from www.adobe.com/products/captivate/buying-guide-education-discount.html
Murray,
L. A. (2014). The ten minute website.
Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4aH4aSBOmQ
Murray,
L. A. (2014). Pure chat. Retrieved
from www.youtube.com/watch?v=x800BJoDMkI
Screencast-O-Matic.
(2014). Screencast-O-Matic. Retrieved
from http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/
Techsmith.
(2014). Purchase Camtasia Education
Version. Retrieved from shop.techsmith.com/store/techsm/en_US/buy/productID.289738300
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